Patients on various life support have tubes placed into the lungs or stomach. Such tubes are affixed to a cannula, a form of junction box a few inches from the mouth of the patient. Tubes can be replaced, added and removed from the cannula as medical treatment needs are modified.
Cannulas, however, have a known problem. The tubes are positioned into portions of the human body known to issue moisture. The moisture in turn pools and collects in and around junctures between the tubes and cannula. The moisture weakens or degrades the manners of affixing the tubes to the cannula, which are typically tape wrapped circularly about the junction, forming a poor seal. As moisture pools in the junction, it attacks the underside of the tape causing it to separate from the tube and/or cannula. The moisture continues to pool until it separates enough of the tape from the tube/cannula to allow escape of the fluids. At this point, the tape is generally too degraded to provide the necessary hold. A shift of the patient, causes tubes to become dislodged, depriving the patient of needed medical care.
Hospital procedures have been developed to overcome this problem, including frequent examination of the tubes and cannula to assure connection. This examination has led to higher labor costs than necessary if the tubes would remain fixed until medical personal wanted them removed. Often the equipment needs to be replaced prematurely due to separation of components, causing higher material costs.
What is needed is a device that secures to the tube and the cannula. Ideally, the fastener, preferably tape, receives opposing forces from the cannula and at least one other tube, while leaving at least a portion of the junction open to release fluid. For instance, a length of tape is joined to a tube and cannula, but desirably is also joined to at least one other tube positioned in a direction opposing the first tube. More preferably, one length of tape secures three tubes and the cannula in opposing directions.